VCCRN | RECAP

Working Together > Working Alone: Reflections from the 2025 VCCRN | Virginia Coordinated Clinical Research Network SUMMIT.

Huge thank you to the organizers, especially Lara D'Antonio and the entire VCCRN team, for creating such a thoughtful and action-oriented event. The work is just getting started and ARAC looks forward to getting more involved with this evolving network! The opportunities to contribute, collaborate, and help build something lasting are right here. 

Our very own Amanda Cox, R.N. shares her KEY TAKEAWAYS below:

✅ COLLABORATION is the new competition.

 “Yesterday’s competitor is today’s partner” was a theme heard again and again. Government, academic, clinical, and industry leaders alike recognize that no one can solve today’s complex healthcare challenges alone. The best ideas are emerging in SHARED spaces.

✅ Virginia is for SCIENCE lovers.

There’s a clear, collective commitment to reversing the “brain drain” — keeping our talented students, clinicians, and researchers here by building stronger infrastructure, mentorship, and opportunity pipelines.

✅ We already have what we need — now we need to USE it better.

Virginia’s data ecosystem is among the best in the country. We have leading academic institutions, innovative startups, and clinical partners. The message was clear: stop waiting for permission and start using what’s already here.

✅ Patient-centered INNOVATION is essential.

From decentralized trials and AI-powered tools to trust-building in underserved communities, the summit emphasized that tech should never replace the human experience — it should amplify it.

✅ RICHMOND is ready.

With its diversity, proximity to DC, and unique healthcare landscape, Richmond is well-positioned to be a national leader in collaborative clinical research. The energy and urgency in the room were palpable.